Moon's Dance
by Lunar Shadowsong
Summary: This is a story about an Elf who can control anything with song or dance, these powers take him on a supernatural adventure that will change history forever!
1. Default Chapter

Moon's Dance  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter I  
  
The lone voice  
  
A voice on the wind was how it started, the night was a cold one. The blizzard raged and whistled, and yet you could hear it. Carrying pure and beautiful over the storm. The words were that of old, the tongue lost to civilisation and yet the voice sang on, growing stronger and purer. Alongside the strange music sang something else, its tune matched that of the song but it was something different. It flowed with the voice, the voice unknowingly giving it purpose. As the voice grew louder so did this strange shadow of a voice. That shadow was magic, and it was old and as the voice sang the magic sung too. And many a sorcerer and sorceress ventured forward to find the owner of this voice, but always when they were close the song would end and the voice disappear. The magic nothing but a dream, uttered and forgotten. Soon after the song would end storms would subside and the sun would shine down on the folk that travelled and migrated across the ancient lands of the Gods. The owner of the voice that had sung could only be very young, the voice had started singing a couple of years before. They would never find the owner of the voice, or so they thought.  
  
Shade was only about thirteen years old, his hair was snow-white and hacked of short, so it was only a hand's depth long. His eyes were golden, the pupils slits, like a cat's. He surveyed the seen, hundreds of people, on the plains below, all preparing for the long trip north. They killed bears and wolves to get their warm hides and slew many a creature to get food and supplies. He, too, would have to do this if he wanted to make the journey. He thought it strange how people seemed to feel safety in numbers, they were like deer he supposed. He was not with the large group of people below however. No, his feet had been planted on the wandering trail a long time ago, he was too old to change his ways. He turned and jumped down from his tree-branch lookout and land in a six feet snow-drift. He struggled out spitting snow and dirt, he shook his head to try and get read of all the snow in his hair and eyes. He sneezed suddenly, and the force pushed him off balance and back into the snow-drift. When he got out a small dark furred weasel was sitting on a log ad laughing at him. He shook his head at the creature, walked over to the log and offered his hand to the weasel. It jumped onto his hand, ran up his arm and curled itself around his shoulders. "Slink," he said to the weasel "what am I to do with you, eh?". The weasel made a sound between a growl and purr. Shade snorted and started off in a random direction. It was easier to wander than follow a direct path to somewhere. Less easy to get lost. He walked through the snow blanketed forest, casually humming to himself. The only things dark in the forest were the trees, they stood tall and fierce, many of them old and wise. Sometimes when everything was especially quiet shade thought he could hear voices sing together in harmony. Sometimes he joined in their song and sung out loud, even though he was sure he'd never heard the words before he seemed to know them. He kept up his trudging, the voices whispering in and out of his mind. Beside his ear, Slink chattered something, "thought so myself" he said in reply. Slink's tail briefly tickled his cheek and then he dosed off. So he walked on every now and then he fell in a deep snow- drift, he would wade through them and continue. Unlike some folk who would stop and complain for a while, Shade didn't have time for such boring pastimes. He thought only stupid and arrogant people would complain about such a thing, once something has happened it's happened and no amount of complaining and whimpering is ever going to change that! As he walked he began to sing a song that the trees liked to sing, each creature or plant had its own preference to song and there was one for them all. Soon voices began join his as the whole forest jumped joyously into song, the trees sang and whispered, and providing the melody where several Sparrows and Starlings, Shade even caught a Nightingale's voice on the wind. The Nightingale's voice matched his own and the sung the tune together even as day darkened to evening, and evening to night. The song finally stopped when Shade's eyelids drooped shut and he drifted into a dreamless sleep. Slink bounded softly over to the sleeping boy, he rubbed his face against the boy's then wriggled into his shirt to curl himself protectively around his neck.  
  
As the boy slept the moon sang, his voice echoing over the still forest, the trees swaying in its presence and many a creature singing to its weary tune. Yet as day drew the moon sang on, singing for a boy and a weasel. And even as the sun began to rise, he sang. Even as the horizon began to grow light, he sang. As the skies around him turned to the reds and yellows of the morning, he sang. Even as the song drew to a close he made sure the last words were heard, "hope, fear and fire, they beat in his chest" and the moon was gone sinking below the horizon as the sun rose, his song sinking and diminishing with him, until all that could be heard was the sun clumsily trying to imitate the moon's grace. But all knew, the song was moon's and moon's to keep. Sun may be bright and shining but moon is graceful and can sing like no other and no other can sing like moon.  
  
  
  
Chapter II  
  
The grace of dance  
  
The sun rose and shone, the skies changed their colours and the stars winked out. Yet Shade slept on, and Slink, like his name, slunk out of the cave where they had spent that stormy night. He bounded into the forest, using all his keen weasel senses so he could make sure the Shade woke up to a nice fresh winter's rabbit. 


	2. Neon

That day was harder than most, they walked in the bitter cold and every second seemed like an hour and every hour a day and every day a year. Finally they collapsed, shade didn't know how long he lay there for, but all he knew was he heard foot steps, their pace quickened as the person caught site of him. Strong hands gripped him and he knew no more.  
  
He awoke with a start to find himself covered by warm skins, in the corner of his eye he saw a fire dancing and wavering. Suddenly a figure appeared over him, "oh! You're awake, drink this" she propped a cup up against his mouth "I'm Neon". Neon in fact was a female of his own species, an Elf of the woodland Realm. Her hair was dark and her eyes the palest blue you've ever seen. She talked to him even though all he could utter was his name. As day fell into night and the moon rose to watch over him he drifted into sleep.  
  
Neon looked at the sleeping Elf, though he appeared to be only thirteen he was much much older, she herself was two thousand, give or take a few centuries. She laid her hand on his pale forehead and muttered an incantation, she raised her hand and looked at him approvingly, he was only a little older than her. Suddenly a small ferret appeared beside as she knelt beside the sleeping Elf, it was custom for all of the Woodland Realm to have a forest creature at their side. Her ferret was named Quicktoe, she was quite a fast little creature, her fur a light brown hue. Shade's creature she noted was a weasel, its fur was dark and its body big. It lay curled around Shade's neck. She put a gentle hand on Shade's forehead and absentmindedly stroked his short hair. He was a beautiful Elf, his gold cat- like eyes were a wonder and his face was pure. She leaned over him too get a better look, his lashes flickered slightly. She put one of her hands on the side of his face, she leaned closer her Elf eyes scanning him intently. Then he opened his own eyes, and found herself leaning down, she kissed him and her emotions reeled. Everything dissolved around her, the only thing she could see was Shade. His beautiful eyes looking into hers. He broke the kiss and drifted off to sleep. A smile etched on his face, the smile was a wonder, because there is a lot to a smile and his was, what else? Beautiful! Neon went to her own skins and wrapped herself up in them, se should not have done that. But wait, he had done the same. This was something she didn't understand, she would see what the morning would bring.. 


	3. The Curse of Aldur

Neon woke suddenly, a voice was drifting over the forest. She glanced over at Shade's bedding, Shade was gone! She ran through the forest, the voice seemed to call her on. She looked around franticly, then she saw boot prints on the ground. She began to follow them, the further she went the louder the voice got. She began to run and suddenly broke into a clearing. The moon shone brightly into the gap in the trees, illuminating a figure in the centre. Suddenly in the centre of the moon incandescent lights began to form. They shot down in one massive ray swirling and spiralling down to the figure on the ground. Bright gold lights broke out around the figure and soared up to meet the blue light. The collided sending blue and gold stars everywhere. Neon realised what this figure was wielding, he was wielding magic. The figure was Shade! What was he?  
  
Shade knew what was coming, expected the lurch of pain. Yet it was not pain, it was a strange feeling; he could not put his finger on it. Even as his bones lengthened, as his teeth became fangs he wondered. He found it, change, that was it. Bat-like wings burst from his shoulders, fine black hairs began to sprout and cover them. His hands became paws, enormous and black as the night, huge white claws unsheathed themselves. His eyes became a colourless white, he flared his midnight tail and bellowed. A roar that shook the snow off the nearby trees. He gathered his panther-like body under him and launched himself into the sky, flapping his billowing wings and rising up into the starry sky. He knew why he had changed; he had attempted to break the Curse the God Aldur had laid on them so many years ago. He had confined them to the woodland realm of Ulgo. He wanted to see how the world had changed. 


	4. The Fields of Algaria

Shade's name along with his body had changed, he knew his true name. Dark Karacan. His wing carried him away from Ulgo, away from the ugly and fearsome beasts that roamed its forests. He had sensed much hate there and did not wish to return there. He flew all day and most of the night, he needed to see the world, as it was now, not in the memories of others. He looked down over massive grassy plains before long, seeing cows grazing, the occasional watchman. Then out of nowhere an arrow flew into his beautiful wing. He screamed with pain and tried to continue but more arrows appeared, flying toward him! He fell out of the sky and using his powerful legs ran, ran into the fields of gold. 


	5. The Cage

Hettar stood looking through the dungeon bars at the creature chained and sleeping. He had never seen such a beast, neither had Belgarath or Polgara. The arrows still lay where they had pierced the creatures skin, five in his wings, one in his shoulder and one in his leg, the one that had brought him down. He was alive, but only just. What was it? There were strange creatures in Ulgo, but this? The creature seemed dead to all their senses even Belgarath's. It snorted, and then lashed its tail. It was waking! It opened its great colourless eyes and struggled to its feet. As Hettar watched it flapped those large wings sending the arrows flying out. It bents its head and wrenched the arrow out of its hind leg. It roared and pulled at its chain. Hettar left before it got violent.  
  
Prince Geran, heir to the throne of Riva woke with a start. He could hear moans of pain of despair. He climbed out of bed, within seconds Wolf was at his side and together they went to seek out this strange call. The corridors were dim; nothing was really visible in the endless dark. They soon approached a large cage covered by a large cover. They pulled it away and saw with horror a beast of Ulgo, not insane and not mad. It was almost human. "Please" it growled "help me! 


	6. Wings of Flame

Geran couldn't believe it, he'd dreamed this moment all his life. There was something important about it. The minute he touched the creature's blood- soaked paw a world of song burst forth, filling his body ad mind. Then he understood. This was what he'd been hearing his entire life, but until now it had only been whispers, like a dream, for when he came back to himself when he heard those whispers they were forgotten and lost to him. He knew what he must do. He carefully removed the guard's keys from his pouch and slid them carefully into the well oiled lock.  
  
The night was dead and cold as boy, wolf and beast crept out of the stronghold. They moved into the centre of one of the gold wheat-fields of Algaria, the wind stirring the wheat ever so slightly, so it rippled like waves. A cloud shifted to reveal the moon, suddenly the creature exploded with a blinding blue light. The creature drew himself up onto his hind legs, suddenly he was not a creature of beast. No, he was a boy, a boy with ct eyes of gold. As the light faded the boy looked at Geran. He opened his wide wings, they were still bat-like but now they had a strange pattern leaping for the bas of the wing. It looked like fire, reaching up to engulf the entire wing, and at the tip were the wing folded a spike protruded, it shone in the moonlight. He smiled at Geran, and like the wheat, his white hair stirred in the wind.  
  
"Thank you" he said, his voice was gentle, it carried like song "do you hear me now? Do you hear us now?"  
  
Though the question seemed strange Geran knew the answer, "yes, I understand" he replied.  
  
The boy put his hand on Geran's shoulder, "what a singer you shall make" he said smiling, "I am known as Dark Karacan, though many call me Shade".  
  
"I am Geran, Crown Prince of Riva".  
  
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Highness". Geran smiled, this boy did not fear him, "If I am not being rude in asking, may I ask why do you have wings?"  
  
"I have them because I do, I cannot explain it. You have them as well you know, all you have to do is spread them for flight".  
  
Geran suddenly felt a tinge in his back, suddenly huge bat-like wings burst from his shoulders. But unlike Shade's his were not black with the fire design. No, his were the colour of ice. "Welcome to the world of the Singers, welcome, Geran Icefyre!" 


End file.
